Chicago, IL. – September 1 – Chicago Southside native Michelle Kennedy founded Films For The People Inc., to serve as a production company for the first Chicago South Side Film Festival and other future film-related events. Kennedy is focused on giving the South Side its own film festival – one dedicated to showcasing the best of its culture, history, and potential. The Chicago South Side Film Festival is a celebration of the South Side of Chicago on film. It will feature films made on the South Side or produced by South Side Natives. The festival will feature seven screenings that include feature films, documentaries, and animated shorts. It will be held at the Studio Movie Grill Theater located at 210 West 87th Street October 6-8, 2017.

The three-day festival will kick off on Friday, October 6 with an opening night reception and screening of Love Jones, a 1997 American romantic drama film which stared Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Bill Bellamy, Isaiah Washington, and Lisa Nicole Carson. It was written and directed by Theodore Witcher, in his feature film debut. The festival will conclude on Sunday, October 8 with the three short films that have been chosen to be screened at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday October 8. The films included are: Beyond the Sole produced by Derek Dow; Rise, produced by Akili King; and All Kids Go to Hell, produced by Chaz Bottoms.

Although Kennedy has more than 20 years of professional experience in Real Estate Finance and Development, she is also a film enthusiast who regularly attends film festivals all across the world. Through hosting the 2017 South Side Film Festival, Kennedy hopes to broaden the variety and quality of the South Side's cultural events and programs. “There are at least one hundred film festivals occurring every year across Chicago, but none of which occur on the South Side or are dedicated to the South Side heritage. I want to change that,” Kennedy said.

Working alongside Kennedy to make this event a noteworthy success, is fellow Chicago-native, Delacy Peters III. In addition to serving as Kennedy’s production assistant, Peters is currently a senior film major with a minor in Spanish at Howard University. He is also the Vice-President of ¡Changó!, the Afro-Latino Culture Club at Howard University, as well as, a member of the Howard University Film Organization.

Tickets will be available to the public for purchase at www.filmsforthepeople.com beginning Saturday, August 19. Tickets for the opening night reception and screening are $40 each, and general admission tickets are $16 each for following shows.

For information on sponsorship and merchandise branding opportunities, please send an email message to info@filmsforthepeople.com.

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About Michelle Kennedy

Kennedy is a South Side native who graduated from Kenwood Academy in 1991, and went on to earn degrees from the University of Wisconsin, The University of the West Indies, and Rutgers University. She is currently an Underwriting Manager with a passion for all things creative.